


no dating in the office please

by pentacupids



Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: M/M, domino effect of hysteria tbh, dont expect super explicit stuff lol, office relationships, office scandals, the japanese man should have never transferred to the seoul office
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-06-17 16:09:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15465150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pentacupids/pseuds/pentacupids
Summary: It all started when Yuto accidentally walked in on two colleagues making out on his first day at the Seoul branch.One office, ten perspectives, a whole lot of secrets.





	1. Adachi Yuto

Yuto could have stayed back at the Nagano branch in Japan and led a comfortable and happy life as a normal Japanese salaryman. He could have been engaging in quality banter in the kitchen with other Japanese co-workers, making precious memories with his team over rounds of sake after work, enjoying himself as he works hard to comfortably climb that corporate ladder...but no. Here he is, sitting at a desk in the Seoul branch of motherfucking South Korea, miles away from home. No one likes being the new guy, especially when you’re from a different country.    
  
It has been a week since Yuto first started and he was already regretting the decision to transfer every waking minute. The cursor flickers on the screen as his fingers hover the keyboard, waiting for Yuto to decide what to type next. It’s weird how things work out sometimes. If young and naive 15 year old Yuto didn’t go through the rebellious phase of ‘I HAVE TO GO TO SOUTH KOREA TO BE A K-POP STAR’, his Korean skills wouldn’t be at the level it is now. It was both a blessing and curse to adult Yuto who threw away those dreams long ago. Yuto is about to switch to another screen when he feels it. Those pair of burning eyes stabbing at him from the side. Well, this isn't the first time he’s noticed it. He knew the person had been staring at him for the last hour or so but chose to ignore it. But there’s a limit to how much you can ignore a problem before you have to acknowledge it. Yuto huffs and then glances to the side, just in time to catch the sight of Hyunggu turning his head back to his own monitor at lightning speed. Yuto clears his throat loud enough for Hyunggu to hear and resumes his typing. It happened so often that it was starting to get annoying but Yuto didn’t want to do anything about it. At the very least, he knows why Hyunggu is like this despite them having known each other for just a week. He probably would be the same if he was in Hyunggu’s position.   
  
It happened a few days ago. It was Yuto’s first day in the office and he had been sent up to another floor to get some administrative paperwork done but had taken the wrong elevator. He hopped off at the wrong floor, hoping to bump into someone to ask for help, but it was strangely empty with not a soul in sight. And quiet. Almost too quiet. After a brief look around the place, he realised it was a newly refurbished floor considering how sparkling new everything was and how there was even furniture still wrapped up in plastic everywhere. Yuto swung his body around and was ready to go back down to the elevators when he heard a loud crash coming from a nearby room. Curiosity got the best of Yuto as he was immediately drawn to the source of the sound, carefully making his way to the what seemed like the printing room. And then he opened the door.   
  
Poor Yuto. He was sincerely hoping there was someone around to show him how to get to where he needed to be but instead, well, that wasn’t going to be the case by the looks of it. Inside the room, there were people, two to be exact. One of them sat on top of the printer with his legs dangling off the side, white work shirt fully unbuttoned, black hair an absolute mess.The second person had his back to Yuto and was standing in front of the smaller guy in between his legs. Yuto could tell the guy was a giant judging purely by the length of this legs. Well, he did notice the other ‘more key’ things happening in that moment too but god damn, how tall was this guy? The tall guy leaned forward on the printer with his arms, his mouth up against the nape of the smaller guy’s neck. If Yuto didn’t know any better, the guy might as well have said ‘ITADAKIMASU’ before digging in because it looked that aggressive. But nah, it was just two guys making out in a printer room at his new office, nothing special. Yuto knew he had overstayed his welcome in the room a long long time ago, like 5 seconds ago to be exact. But have you ever seen something that’s either just so bizarre, gross or simply out of the ordinary, that you feel compelled to keep watching even though you know you don’t want to? That’s what Yuto was feeling at that time. Was this really what he would want to witness on his first day? Or ever even? The small pale guy being devoured eventually realises that they had an unwelcome visitor to their two-man party and Yuto has the audacity to just brazenly make eye contact with him, bow politely and then quietly close the door as if he never saw anything. He could hear the sounds of muffled voices and scrambling of footsteps behind him as he goes from rigidly walking to deadass bolting down the corridor to the nearest emergency exit to the staircase.   
  
So imagine Yuto’s surprise when he gets introduced to one of his co-workers later in the day, the fresh smelling and brightly smiling Kang Hyunggu - who just so happened to be the guy who was on top of the printer...or maybe he looked really similar to the guy? Nah, it was him. Yuto could unfortunately see the glowing hickeys on Hyunggu’s neck. Curse his good observation skills, right? Upon coming face to face with Yuto, Hyunggu couldn’t even hide his utter embarrassment to save his life with an awful blush colouring his cheeks, reaching all the way to the point of his ears.    
“Hyunggu, this is Adachi Yuto who has just transferred all the way from our Nagano branch! He’ll be joining us for a year to help out with the new project,” Jinho said, coupled with a friendly smile. Yuto was surprised when he first met Jinho, his now manager, back in Tokyo. He hadn’t expected the man who held such an incredible reputation to be so small and baby-faced. And now he was wondering if Jinho was colour-blind because did he actually not see how red Hyunggu’s face was right now!? The guy looked like he was about to pass out.

“N-nice to meet you, Yuto. Looking forward to working with you.” Hyunggu shakily held out his hand, trying his best to keep his composure and put on a welcoming smile because Jinho was standing right there. 

“Likewise.” Yuto reluctantly shook his new colleague’s hand, unsure of where it has been during the day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I just really wanted to put the boys in an office and see what comes out of it. It should be fun! Won't make any promises for now because I wouldn't consider this my 'main' story but I do have a lot of ideas for it so let's see how it goes~ Each chapter will follow one or two characters and with each perspective, new information will be revealed hopefully...? Anyway, enjoy and thanks for stopping by!


	2. Kang Hyunggu

Hyunggu loves coffee. He can’t get enough of it from the tasteless manufactured stuff to the fragrant freshly-roasted kind imported from overseas. It’s an early morning at the office and Hyunggu is taking his sweet time in the office kitchen, standing by the window with his hands wrapped around a warm mug of coffee. A pair of arms embrace him from behind and he’s stuck in an euphoric state. It feels warm and perfect. He only realises something is wrong when his neck becomes the playground for soft kisses followed by small bites. Hyunggu jerks his body away from whoever was behind him and turns around. There was absolutely no one who should be hugging him from behind, let alone doing things to his neck. Not during office hours anyway. 

“Wooseok!” Hyunggu snaps at a restrained volume, “What the fuck are you doing!?” His panicking eyes were already scanning the vicinity. Luckily for him, there wasn’t anyone around so he didn’t have to consider hiring a hitman of any sort. That would probably cost a lot of money.

“Relax, it’s just us. I checked.” Wooseok is quick to disarm Hyunggu with a flash of his charming grin. Hyunggu continues to glare at him, unimpressed by his advances. He knew Wooseok simply could not keep his hands to himself despite being sternly told to keep things professional in the office. The light blush brushing Hyunggu’s cheeks told a different story but that wasn’t something he could control. Before Wooseok can pull him in closer by the waist, Hyunggu wriggles his way out with his elbow and storms off, already feeling Wooseok’s eyes undressing him from behind. His phone vibrates in his back pocket and of course the message is from that idiot.    
  
**Wooseok:** nice ass btw   
  
It’s not that dating was prohibited in the office. It was just common knowledge that it was heavily looked down upon by upper management. Feelings, at least the romantic type, were seen as a threat to the ‘professional’ environment that the office wanted to uphold. Not that that stopped people from getting together but it was something that image-obsessed people like Hyunggu wanted to steer clear of. He had been doing rather well to not get romantically involved with co-workers despite the unusually high number of cute guys on his floor. But that was until Wooseok’s team moved to the same floor due to the new floor refurbishments taking place. Hyunggu first spoke to Wooseok when he accidentally took his papers from the printing room. After that, they exchanged the usual pleasantries whenever they ran into each other in the hallways, the kitchen, the bathroom. Although resistant to the idea at first, Hyunggu had to admit, Wooseok was total eye-candy. The guy was handsome as fuck, always had his black hair neatly slicked back, wore tailored suits that were tight in all the right places, and couple that with his alluring voice and devilish grin, it was hard not to develop a small crush on him. Or a big one, whatever. Hyunggu had to actively tell himself to not get involved in Wooseok but that proved to be too hard in the end.   
  
It started maybe two months ago. Wooseok and Hyunggu were assigned to the same project team working on a new contract that was going to be signed. An unfortunate twist of fate, now that Hyunggu looks back on it. Like any new contract, it came with long hours which led to endless nights which led to dinners (and sometimes drinks) in the office...you get the idea. It was impossible for Hyunggu  _ not  _ to flirt with the guy when they were forced to spend so much time together. It also didn’t help that Wooseok liked teasing Hyunggu as well. On one particular night, they were both caught up with reviewing the final details for the client presentation. Other team members had already left, leaving the two of them in the meeting room alone. Hyunggu is convinced Wooseok stayed back on purpose that night because he doesn’t remember Wooseok being all that helpful. At this point, they had been dancing around each other and playing in dangerous waters for too long. It was only a matter of time before one of them decided to stop playing games. Hyunggu was feeling extra sensitive that night, numbingly conscious of the fact that they were alone on an empty floor. Even the janitors had already passed by and gone home for the day. There was just this tension in the air that suffocated him. He wanted to focus on getting the numbers right but was instead admiring how long and slender Wooseok’s fingers were. He wanted to proof-read the notes but was distracted by the fact that Wooseok’s tie was so dishevelled, he could probably just take it off in one go. He thought Wooseok didn’t notice him sneaking dirty glances at him but oh, how wrong he was.   
“You seem a bit distracted, Hyunggu.” Wooseok smirks at the sight of Hyunggu tensing up, trying to manage his expression as to not let Wooseok know he was right on the money, “Maybe we should end it for tonight?”   
“You can head home if you want, I’ll finish things off here.” Hyunggu says without looking away from the screen, internally praying that Wooseok just leaves him alone. Well, actually that’s a lie. He’s praying Wooseok bends him over the table or something but would never admit that. Hyunggu doesn’t know really, he’s feeling light-headed and his thoughts don’t make sense anymore. He had only so much self-restraint and the accumulating stress of work was getting to him. There was a need to de-stress but he certainly didn't want those plans to involve his cute co-worker. Suddenly, from his peripheral, he can see Wooseok showing signs of movement but is startled when he feels hot breath against his ear and hears Wooseok whisper in that lustful voice, “Or perhaps you can finish me off instead?” The blood rushes to Hyunggu’s face and before he can even say or do anything, Wooseok firmly pulls him in by his neck tie for a long messy kiss. Hyunggu’s mind goes blank, it’s certainly de-stressing because he can literally feel the tension in his muscles alleviate, leaving his body weak. Their lips part briefly and Hyunggu only catches a glimpse of that damn grin before Wooseok pashes him again. Hyunggu knows he is going to want more than just kisses now but it’s okay. The night was just beginning.

 

* * *

 

Hyunggu rubs the nape of his neck, the sensation of Wooseok on his skin still lingering. He had bigger things to worry about right now though. That guy who walked into in on them just before, Hyunggu had to track him down soon before rumours started spreading. He knows the consequences wouldn’t be astronomical but Jinho has warned him before that something like this could affect his chances for the upcoming promotion. He absolutely did not want to risk that. Being the social butterfly he was, Hyunggu prided himself in having a good memory of people but he could not recall ever seeing that guy in the office. Maybe he’s new? Wait, didn’t Jinho mention something about a new guy transferring from Japan today? Hyunggu shakes his head, what kind of a bad luck would he have to have for that to be the case…   
“Oh good timing!” He hears Jinho’s voice and turns around from his desk. He notices the guy who is a head taller than Jinho trailing behind him. They make eye contact and Hyunggu freezes on the spot.    
  
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK.   
  
“Hyunggu, this is Adachi Yuto who has just transferred all the way from our….” Jinho’s voice disappears into the background and all Hyunggu can hear is the sound of his internal screaming. It’s him. It’s definitely him. Tall, tanned, black hair, resting bitch face (which is kind of sexy but it’s not really the right time to be acknowledging that). Hyunggu realises Jinho has stopped speaking so he naturally extends his arm out for a handshake. He has a lot to say to his new co-worker, a good portion involving curse words, but he opts for a more civil sentence, something like “Nice to meet you, Yuto. Looking forward to working with you.” Yeah, that’ll work for now.   
“Likewise.”    
Hyunggu is caught off guard by the depth of Yuto’s voice. They’re stuck in a firm handshake that lingers for a tad too long and then Hyunggu sees it. He’s not sure what to make of it and maybe he’s imagining things due to internal panic but he sees Yuto smirk and he swears it was definitely the knowing and sly kind.


	3. Jung Wooseok

There’s nothing worse than being woken up by the earthquake like vibration of a phone on the side table followed by the blaring ringtone that was only a great decision at the time of setting it. Now add in a massive hangover and it’s a recipe for a painful morning. Wooseok lets the phone call end itself but the damage is done now, he’s awake albeit only barely alive. His eyes burn from the brightness of the screen when he tries to check which idiot called him so early in the morning (or so he thinks). Kim Hyojong. The call better have been for an apology. That guy was the one responsible for Wooseok’s current state, dragging him out clubbing and getting him wasted last night. Wooseok rolls over and stretches his arm out to feel the cold empty sheets on the other side of the bed. He can vaguely remember the night before. After getting home, he had drunkenly dialled Hyunggu who surprisingly showed up at his place not long after. The only memory he had of what happened after that was of cute Hyunggu sitting on top of him whilst unbuttoning his shirt, complaining about how much he reeked of alcohol. A shame really, he would have liked to remember more than that, like perhaps the touch and smell of Hyunggu’s delicate skin. Maybe next time.   
  
Wooseok is roaming around his apartment half-naked with just a pair of worn out track pants on like a zombie. He’s making a poor attempt to clean up his place whilst he has a toothbrush in his mouth. He thinks he’s great at multi-tasking when he really isn’t. Upon hearing the doorbell ring, he’s sent into a flurry of actions, jogging to the bathroom to clean his mouth and wash his face, and then grabbing the nearest hoodie to put on, skipping the shirt altogether. He wonders who it could be. Maybe Hyunggu came back for more? He’s playing along with the naughty thought and opens the front door without checking.   
“What took you so long?” The pout on Shinwon’s face naturally turns into a thin smile. He leans in to peck Wooseok’s cheek before making his way into the apartment that is like his second home, leaving Wooseok behind in a confused daze.   
“Sorry, I just woke up.” Wooseok shuts the door behind him and anxiously watches Shinwon closely with jumpy eyes. It’s a good thing Hyunggu didn’t stick around after all. A really good thing.   
“Just woke up? It’s nearly one in the afternoon. Also,” Shinwon leans against the kitchen counter and raises a curious brow, “since when do you drink coffee? I thought you hated it.”   
“Hated. I don’t mind it now.” More like he didn’t mind the person who came with the coffee. Wooseok hurries over to slide his arms around Shinwon’s waist as a guise to check if Hyunggu had left anything else behind. Nothing else, just the mug of cold coffee and sachets of instant coffee on the bench. The image of a smiling Hyunggu wrapping his small hands around that very mug and looking out the window flashes across Wooseok’s mind. He makes a mental note to check near the bed and maybe in the bathroom just in case. Shinwon tilts his head against Wooseok’s and enjoys what he thinks is his boyfriend being adorably affectionate.    
  
Wooseok and Shinwon properly met a year ago at Hyojong’s house-warming party. Before that, they were simply people who worked on the same floor but in completely different teams with little interaction.They naturally came together, being the two tallest people at the event, and bonded over teasing Hyojong about how low the ceiling was for them. The two hooked up, exchanged numbers, became friends with benefits and it just organically progressed into a relationship. Not a very public one though because Shinwon had a desire to keep it between themselves. For what reason, Wooseok wasn’t sure but he respected Shinwon enough to not go around telling people even if he himself didn’t care. Shinwon was like the quiet and kind-hearted counterpart to the egotistic and short-tempered Wooseok. So perhaps it was inevitable that Wooseok’s commitment started faltering. He hadn’t really been in a long-term relationship before Shinwon so the sudden restraint was getting displeasing. He yearned for something new, something dangerous, something exciting, and that something came in the form of Kang Hyunggu, the small beautiful fair-skinned guy with a fiery temper on the floor he moved to. The dynamic he had with Hyunggu was simply different from what he had with Shinwon. He could be a complete jerk to Shinwon and just be shrugged off with the silent treatment or temporary disappointment. But push the wrong buttons with Hyunggu? That guy would snap like a branch and put up a fierce fight. However, this also meant that their heated arguments almost always ended up in the most passionate sex he had ever had with anyone. And that was exactly what Wooseok yearned for.   
  
Wooseok knew he was an asshole, cheating on Shinwon like this. Did he feel guilty? Yes. Was he going to end things with either Hyunggu or Shinwon? No. He didn’t want to. He had always been a selfish person and he was unable to choose between the comfort he got from Shinwon as a partner and the excitement he got from secretly being with Hyunggu. So for now, for as long as possible, he wanted both of them. Wooseok was somewhat relieved that Hyunggu didn’t recognise the person who caught them on the new floor that day, meaning it wasn’t Shinwon, but later finding out that it was actually the new transfer guy on Hyunggu’s team was just as disconcerting. His only option was to let Hyunggu handle that guy because Hyunggu fortunately didn’t want anyone in the office to find out they were sleeping together either.   
  
“I heard from Hyojong that he dragged you along on one of his crazy night adventures again so I thought I’d stop by to make sure you’re okay.” Shinwon’s voice broke through Wooseok’s drifting mind, the security and comfort from Shinwon’s love already embracing him. However, with that came the sense of guilt tugging within him which was nothing unusual. It was just something Wooseok would have to get used to.    
“I’m just glad to be alive to be honest.”    
“Me too,” Shinwon smiles as he twirls his finger around the zipper of Wooseok’s hoodie, tempted to slowly pull it down, “Shall we just stay inside today then?”   
Wooseok plants an empty kiss on Shinwon’s forehead and smiles, “Yeah, that’d be good.”

=====

During his lunch breaks, Wooseok usually opts for a sandwich and a drink of some sort so he can soullessly browse through his phone without much trouble. On this particular day, however, he’s interrupted by Hyojong who jumps into the seat right in front of him.   
“Why aren’t you eating with Mr. Ko?” Hyojong probes with the usual mischievous smile pasted on his face. As far as Wooseok knew, Hyojong was the only other person in the office to know about him and Shinwon being together. Even if they hadn’t told him, he would find out somehow anyway. Hyojong knew everything that was happening in the office, whether people liked it or not. Who slept with who, who is or was going out with who, who has a thing for who, nothing seemed to escape him. So despite his usual smiley and dopey face, Hyojong was someone you didn’t want to get on the wrong side of and Wooseok was well aware of this even if they were already good friends.   
“ _ Shinwon _ usually eats a bit earlier than I do. Plus, it’s not really our style.”   
“Is that so? You might want to be careful then.” Hyojong purses his lips into a thin smile, obviously holding back whatever words were going to spill out. Wooseok raises a curious brow, urging Hyojong, who is already leaning in ready to spill the gossip, to continue.   
“I saw Shinwon eating with the new guy just now and they looked  _ really _ friendly with each other.” Hyojong reveals, his eyes dying to catch the slightest hint of jealousy from the giant. Wooseok doesn’t lose his cool, pretending to not be even worried about this piece of news. It does actually concern him though. There's only one new guy in the office and it’s the same guy who knows Wooseok’s dirty little secret. A cruel but amused look makes its way across Hyojong’s eyes, “You’re very selfish, you know that?” Wooseok slows down his chewing, unsure of what Hyojong is getting at. Selfish? Did Hyojong know about the thing going on between him and Hyunggu? Surely not.   
“If you’re not going to eat with Shinwon, at least let him eat with other people!” Hyojong’s small shoulders shake from the laughter and an instant sense of relief overcomes Wooseok.   
“He can eat with whoever he wants to.”   
“Stop pretending like you’re not going to go interrupt them or something as soon as I leave.”    
“I actually have better things to do, Hyojong.” Wooseok smirks confidently to push aside the fear he felt inside. It was the fear that Shinwon was going to hear the truth from that fucking Japanese guy by the name of Adachi Yuto. 


	4. Yang Hongseok

Hongseok lets out an exhausted sigh as he watches the level numbers go up inside the elevator. He was making the painful trip back to the office all the way from the damn car park because he realised he had left his phone on his desk a bit too late. There was no way he was going to go home without his phone so here he was, back hunched over and watching the numbers tease him before the elevator finally reached the office floor. The floor is pitch black but having lived and breathed the place for so long now, Hongseok easily navigates his way to his desk without even bumping into anything. He pats his table down and is relieved when his fingers are met with his phone. Not that he thought someone would have taken it. Well, maybe Hyojong. That guy would probably hold it hostage for free coffee or something.  
  
On his way out, Hongseok wish he didn’t notice the lights that were still on in one of the meetings room down the corridor but it was in his nature to pick up things like that. _Which idiot left the light on…?_ Hongseok shoves his phone into the pocket of his jacket and grumpily makes his way towards the room without thinking that maybe it was occupied. It’s way past office hours anyway and no one could possibly still be working. He suddenly hears the faint sound of voices coming from the room and immediately stops dead in his track, hoping he was as stealthy as he imagined himself to be. Fun fact - he legitimately wanted to be a ninja when he was a kid and that obviously worked out very well for him.  
  
“You seem a bit distracted Hyunggu.”  
               
_That’s Wooseok’s voice..._  
  
Hongseok pushes himself up against the wall like a magnet and shuffles in closer to eavesdrop on the conversation between Wooseok and Hyunggu. He’s still unsure as to why he’s hiding but he doesn’t question his instincts. There is a lull in the conversation and Hongseok decides it’s an absolutely wise idea to discreetly peer through the gap of the frosted windows of the room. He really shouldn’t have because he was just in time to witness Wooseok pull Hyunggu in by the tie for a long and messy pash. Wooseok’s advances are met with pretty much no resistance from Hyunggu which indicates this was a long time coming. Hongseok’s eyes are glued to the drama unravelling right in front of him but he forces himself to look away and make his escape as quietly as possible.  
  
It’s a lot to digest and Hongseok can’t shake off the feeling of being deeply disturbed by what he just saw. It wasn’t Kang Hyunggu that bothered Hongseok. No, they had very little to do with each other even within the office. The only opinion Hongseok really held of Hyunggu was that the guy came across as being a bit of a try-hard. But Jung Wooseok? Hongseok definitely had a problem with him. For one thing, he should definitely not be kissing another person other than his fucking boyfriend, Shinwon.

 

* * *

 

Hongseok likes to think he’s fortunate in many aspects of this life. He had a loving family and a close circle of friends. His dedication to studying in high school paid off when he got into a good college and he landed his dream job right after graduating. Many of his friends worked in the same business district and most importantly, he was working alongside his best friend and roommate from college, Shinwon. So it’s mostly true. Hongseok was fortunate in many aspects of his life. Except one - his love life. When Shinwon first confided in him during college that he liked guys, Hongseok’s insides were tied up in a nervous knot from both joy and fear. The joy came from the fact that, after having harboured a crush on Shinwon from pretty much the first day they met, he now genuinely had a chance. The fear came from the likelihood of Hongseok jumping the gun to confess his feelings, only to be rejected by Shinwon because he didn’t feel the same way towards Hongseok. 

  
And so Hongseok gave in to his fears and kept his feelings to himself. They were roommates at the college dorm at that time after all and he didn’t want to breach that boundary and makes things uncomfortable for Shinwon. All throughout their college years, Shinwon casually saw some people, had friends with benefits as well as one night stands and Hongseok just played his role as the loyal and supportive best friend and roommate. Why? Because he didn’t want to do anything that would ruin the relationship he already had with Shinwon even if it meant staying silent and enduring. There were only a few occasions where Hongseok came close to snapping and letting it all out. Those occasions usually involved finding Shinwon in tears back at their dorm because some douchebag treated him like shit. Hongseok had always thought Shinwon was too nice for his own good because dear lord, he was too trusting of people in this cruel world.  


So you can imagine how devastated Hongseok was when Shinwon told him he was dating Jung Wooseok from their workplace. Hongseok couldn’t be vocal about what he truly thought to Shinwon but he honestly disliked that guy. Hate would have been too strong of a word to use back then because purely from Hongseok’s observations, Wooseok only came across as an obnoxious, arrogant and all-round shady character. Whether or not he actually was that way was up for debate but Hongseok didn’t want to bother finding out for himself. So for Shinwon to be dating such a guy...Hongseok did not approve of it but unfortunately, Shinwon was happy. It was his first real relationship post the multiple fuck ups during college days and Hongseok knew it was not in his place to take away that happiness no matter how much he didn’t like Wooseok.

  
And now he’s here, in the present day, sitting in front of Shinwon who has been going on about something with the same cute animated expressions he usually has, and all Hongseok can think about is how he was right all along about that asshat of a human Wooseok. His hate for that guy is justified now. If you were able to plug into Hongseok’s mind every time he was with Shinwon, Shawn Mendes’ ‘Treat You Better’ would be playing in the background. On repeat. Ever since that night, Hongseok would always be contemplating whether or not it was a good time to tell Shinwon the unfortunate truth about Wooseok and Hyunggu. But as much as he wanted to go ahead and just tell Shinwon, he didn’t have the heart to do it because Shinwon would always somehow bring up some sweet lovey-dovey shit that that asshole did and announce to the whole world how happy and lucky he was to have Wooseok. Hongseok knew he was in too deep. He was so in love with Shinwon that he didn’t even want to be the messenger of the news that would ultimately break Shinwon’s heart into pieces.  
  
Because he knew it would break his heart too.  
  
“Earth to Hongseok~”  
Hongseok is snapped out of his internal struggles by the wave of Shinwon’s hand in front of his face.  
“Is something wrong? You seem a bit distracted.” Shinwon has a worried look on his face as he waits for Hongseok to respond. _Ugh, not that phrase again…_ The memory of Wooseok kissing Hyunggu on that night two months ago is so awfully vivid that Hongseok can’t shake off the guilt of keeping something like that from Shinwon.  
  
He knew something had to be done because Shinwon deserved to know the truth.

 

* * *

 

“Wooseok, please end things with Shinwon.”  
  
It comes across as more of a polite request rather than a demand. Hongseok can see that Wooseok is taken back by the sudden comment from the way his brows tie up in a slight knot. It was a bit past 8 at night and he had somehow convinced Wooseok to go out for after-work drinks even though they barely knew each other. Yet here they were, sitting side by side at a nearby bar, a few bottles of soju in and maybe one conversation away from a messy fight.  
“Excuse me?”  
The fake dumb chuckle that follows from Wooseok pisses Hongseok off. Well, Wooseok could be doing nothing and he would still piss Hongseok off.  
“I know you and Shinwon are dating but I’m going to have to ask you to stop seeing him.” Hongseok takes a slight pause to mentally reinforce to himself that he’s doing the right thing. This wasn’t out of jealousy. Hongseok was not sabotaging anything that wasn’t already ruined by Wooseok being stupidly unfaithful to the sweetest guy on Earth. This was for Shinwon’s sake. Wooseok smiles incredulously at Hongseok’s bluntness and downs another shot before slamming his glass on the counter. The rising anger is boiling underneath the civilised and composed front that he’s trying to keep on.  
“Hongseok, I’m not sure where this is coming from but I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Wooseok leans over the table and reaches out to Hongseok’s glass, “I think we should call it a night, no?”  
Before he can take it away, Hongseok aggressively grabs onto Wooseok’s forearm as a warning, “Okay, look. I saw you with Hyunggu that night in the meeting room and I know you’re still messing around with him behind Shinwon’s back.” The words feel so heavy being said out loud that it makes Hongseok sick to think how hurt Shinwon would be if he heard them. “End things with Shinwon now or I’ll tell him myself, your choice.”  
  
Hongseok must have played out this conversation in his mind a million times leading up to this night. He realised he must have thought very little of Wooseok because all the possible conversations he could think of ended in violence of some sort. He was ready for that though. It would just be a good chance to showcase his years of Taekwondo training. However, he could never have prepared himself for what happened next. First of all, Wooseok is a lot calmer than Hongseok expected him to be. He’s dealt with egoistic bastards like Wooseok before and they usually throw a fit as soon as they’re accused of anything unfavourable towards them. But right now, the giant seems untroubled, taking his damn time to mull over his own thoughts. Hongseok does not know what to think of the confident and condescending smirk on Wooseok’s face and he certainly does not know what to do when Wooseok suddenly leans over to his ear and quietly threatens, “If you utter even a word to Shinwon, don’t be surprised when the whole office magically finds out you slept with a married man for a promotion, you fucking homewrecker.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thanks for stopping by!  
> Is it true that Hongseok is not as good of a person as we thought he was? :O  
> Let me know if the timeline is confusing because the perspectives do jump back and forth quite a bit.  
> I'll see if I can put together a neat diagram or something for the next chapter hahaha.
> 
> #justiceforshinwon
> 
> On another note, I'm super excited for PENTAGON's comeback on the 10th! Yes, it's truly a shame that Edawn and Yanan won't be promoting this era but that doesn't mean we shouldn't support the hard work and effort of the other eight members. I'm personally looking forward to another dorky era that will showcase PENTAGON's charms and you should too because they need it now more than ever! <3
> 
> PS: I've changed the rating to TEEN because compared to a lot of the MATURE-rated fics out there, this is nothing! Hahaha


	5. Ko Shinwon

**TOKYO, JAPAN - 2 YEARS AGO**

“And then you just need to input the invoice number here and then submit the file.”   
“Oh, too easy. Thank you, Yuto.”   
“No worries.”    
  
Before Shinwon could get another word out, Yuto had already excused himself and walked back to his own desk. Cold as per usual. Shinwon shrunk back into his chair, defeated once again. He had been in Tokyo for almost 2 weeks now for a temporary work assignment. He was assisting a small team of two which consisted of Jinho, the team lead, and Yuto, the analyst (who was practically an all-rounder) with their project. Jinho wasn’t around a lot of the time, busy attending meetings with the client and other department leads which left Shinwon and Yuto back in the office most days and oh, how badly did Shinwon wish that wasn't the case. For the most part, Yuto seemed nice and helpful enough as a co-worker and not imposing in anyway. Also, the fact that he was fluent in Korean for some reason was a big bonus. But he wasn’t particularly sociable. Shinwon found it a bit odd he hadn't been invited to any afterwork drinks yet by Yuto but maybe it was not a very Japanese thing. Well, no, that was definitely not it. It was a very Japanese thing to go drinking after work with coworkers. It just wasn’t Yuto's thing which was a shame because Shinwon didn’t really know anyone else in the whole of Tokyo.   
  
Shinwon did eventually try inviting Yuto out for drinks first but was brutally rejected with the classic ‘Sorry, I’m busy tonight.’ It wasn’t really in Shinwon’s nature to be so nosey but he had never met anyone as enigmatic as Yuto. The guy seemed really straight-laced from how he conducted himself at work. He ate by himself during lunch and didn’t show any signs of having any interests or hobbies outside of work. It all made Shinwon more curious but it was getting frustrating how hard it was to get Yuto to open up even just a little bit.

  
~   
  
It wasn’t until a whole month later that Shinwon was finally able to break through Yuto’s shell...through very exceptional circumstances. It happened in the very early hours of the morning, at a time when no one would be in the office yet unless they really had to. Shinwon had printed off some documents to proofread and was heading for the printer room when the sound of loud humming got louder as he got closer. Despite approaching the room with caution, Shinwon still managed to bump into the person who was walking out in a rush which caused a flurry of papers to fly everywhere.   
  
Whilst apologising profusely, Shinwon naturally got on the ground to help gather the papers and it was at this point that he realised it was the absolute worst thing he could have done in that very moment. These weren’t normal office documents by any means. They weren’t letters, they weren’t contracts, they weren’t reports. Nothing of the sort. Messily spread all over the ground in front of Shinwon were prints of what appeared to be a hardcore yaoi manga. It was safe to say that close-up and extravagantly detailed panels of guys going at it in the most compromising positions that Shinwon didn’t even think were possible was the last thing he had expected to see this fine morning. His hands automatically stopped gathering the papers and instead, he slowly looked up to see none other than Adachi Yuto staring back at him with the most petrified expression on his face. The guy looked like he was about to faint from shock but at the last second, opted to bolt off in the opposite direction without saying a word or looking back. Shinwon found it a bit stupid that Yuto would just leave his  _ belongings  _ behind like that but he couldn't really blame the poor guy.    
  
Shinwon took the whole encounter as a god-given opportunity to get closer to Yuto that was not to be missed. During the day, Shinwon could tell Yuto was purposely ignoring him but at the same time, itching to ask something. Probably about the papers and what Shinwon had done with them. As soon as it was lunch time, Shinwon went through great efforts to track down Yuto who was eating by himself at the outside patio, the life absolutely drained from his eyes. As soon as he saw Shinwon had taken a seat in front of him, Yuto’s cheeks were immediately filled with red, embarrassed beyond comprehension.   
“I think you left something behind this morning.” Shinwon slid over the papers which he had kindly gathered neatly. Yuto’s eyes widened in shock and he hastily pulled them over to his side as if to hide it.   
“Thank you…”    
The silence that followed was excruciatingly painful to the point that Shinwon forced himself to say something, anything, to break it.   
“So...I take that you enjoy reading comics?” An awkward chuckle left Shinwon as he reached for his water bottle. There was just no easy way to ease into this conversation but having a dry throat wasn’t going to help either.   
“I drew these.”    
Shinwon almost choked on his water upon hearing Yuto’s rather blunt confession. He drew these!? He fxking drew these!!?? Shinwon honestly didn't want to imagine Yuto at a desk drawing away with great concentration in a studio full of these panels pinned up on the wall but the imagery came anyway.    
“Oh. Wow.” Yet another awkward and airy chuckle left Shinwon. How else was he meant to respond?   
Yuto furrowed his dark brows and eyed his coworker down, “Shinwon, if you’re grossed out and find it disgusting, I’d rather you not try to put on this friendly act. I’m embarrassed enough as it is and would appreciate it if you don’t openly mock me and just leave me alone.”    
“What!? No!” Shinwon exclaimed, slightly offended. Not once did he find Yuto’s interest gross or disgusting. Yes, he was surprised and found it rather peculiar and unexpected but  _ never  _ disgusting.   
“The fact that you drew all of this is amazing!” Desperate to make his point clear, Shinwon flicked through the pages and grabbed one out. He shoved the rather graphic scene in Yuto’s face and yelled out, “Look at the details in these panels!” Yuto has had similar stuff shoved in his face before but not like this, “It’s very beautiful. I feel particularly drawn to the way you drew this guy’s - “

“Okay, I get it, I get it. Please keep it down.” Yuto frantically stopped Shinwon from displaying gay porn to the whole world and tidied up the pages into a neat pile once again, somehow even more embarrassed than he already was. “So…you're not grossed out?” Yuto asked quietly, his shoulders hunched over a bit. Shinwon certainly wasn’t the first person to have ever found out about Yuto’s artistic work. Yuto had faced his fair share of mockery and harassment in the past which would explain his tendency to keep to himself at work to avoid drama.

Shinwon shook his head, “No! Why would I be grossed out? If anything, I'm envious of your talents. I wish I could draw half as good as you!”

Yuto didn’t know how to respond to Shinwon’s kindness but he could tell his words were genuine and not out of mockery. From what few encounters they had, he knew Shinwon was a decent person and he started feeling regretful about not being more welcoming to someone who was a foreigner working in a new country.   
  


Shinwon went on to asking Yuto more questions about his hobby with curiosity. When he started, how he started, what things inspired him - all sorts of questions to keep Yuto busy. It was the first time he had seen Yuto show so much varying emotion in his face, his eyes lighting up with passion and his words full of excitement. He felt glad that Yuto was able to unleash all this love he had for his hobby that would otherwise be bottled up. At one point, Yuto became quiet again, wearing the face of someone in deep contemplation. He decided to open up to Shinwon, telling him this wasn't something he really wanted people in the office to know about. He was scared of the stigma that surrounded just being an otaku, let alone a male otaku that drew and published BL artwork. 

“I won't tell anyone!” Shinwon sternly assured. He had been in Yuto's position before, not wanting to be outed in high school due to the fear of isolation. “Not even my boyfriend. I'll go to my grave with this secret. ”

“You have a boyfriend? That's amazing. Isn't South Korea quite...you know, conservative? Like Japan?”

“It is. I'm just lucky I guess?” Shinwon thought Yuto's expression of awe was adorable and thought that if Yuto was able to open up and trust him to keep a secret, there was no harm in returning the gesture. “Here, I'll show you some photos....”

 

* * *

  
**SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - PRESENT**   
The looks on both Yuto and Shinwon's faces are priceless as they stare at each other, wondering if their eyes were playing tricks on them. It had been almost 2 years since they last saw each other in Tokyo and here they were, running into each other in goddamn Seoul, working for the same company once again. It wasn't that the two didn't think of each other during their time apart but keeping up with people within the same country was already a demanding task, let alone keeping in touch with people in another country. But the two were ecstatic to see each other nonetheless.

 

Shinwon and Yuto were quick to organise a lunch at a nearby restaurant and assuming a lot would have happened in the last two years, the two took their time catching up with each other. Yuto was still active in the doujinshi community, working on his 15th publication. He had been in a short-term relationship but things unfortunately ended before he got moved to Seoul. Shinwon had since broken up with the guy from two years ago and was now dating Wooseok. He was shocked that he let Wooseok’s name slip so easily whilst he was talking to Yuto. He had been so careful to not reveal any details to coworkers because he wanted to keep their relationship private but it seems he was so comfortable with Yuto that it just kind of happened. 

  
They also started reminiscing about when they worked together in Tokyo from their hilarious encounter in the printer room to the various mishaps that happened when Shinwon was there. During their conversation, Shinwon stops mid-sentence and watches Wooseok as he enters the small cafe and approaches their table with a big smile on his face.   
“Wooseok! What are you doing here?” Shinwon is a bit taken back by his boyfriend’s unexpected appearance and finds himself glancing nervously between Wooseok and Yuto. He had already revealed Wooseok as the person he was dating but he definitely wasn’t expecting for Yuto to be able to put the name to a face so soon.    
“Oh, I was walking past when I spotted you so I thought I’d stop by to say hi.”    
Shinwon notices that Wooseok was looking at Yuto as if he already knew him.   
“Have you guys met before?” Shinwon asks the both of them out of curiosity. Wooseok is quick to shake his head and holds his hand out, “No, we haven’t. I’m Wooseok, nice to meet you.”   
“Likewise, I’m Yuto.”   
Shinwon isn’t sure if he’s imagining it but there seemed to be a bit of tension between the two already, despite claiming they haven’t met each other. Shinwon goes on to explain how he and Yuto worked together back in Tokyo, emphasising how crazy it was that they’d end up working for the same company in Seoul. Wooseok for the most part seems interested but Yuto is sharp enough to sense the guy’s unrest. He knows exactly why Wooseok would be tense seeing him and Shinwon together. Not long after, to Yuto’s surprise, Wooseok takes his leave, claiming he didn’t want to ruin their reunion.   
  
Yuto watches Wooseok exit the cafe with a smirk on his face, “So that was Wooseok…”   
“Ah yes, it was…” Shinwon shyly scratches the back of his head, his cheeks getting a bit warm, “I honestly didn’t expect him to drop by like that.”   
“He seems nice,” Yuto tries his best to hold back his laughter but ends up chuckling anyway, “Ah, I can’t believe this.”    
“What do you mean?   
Yuto lets out a heavy sigh, “Shinwon, I need to tell you something.”


End file.
